Pneumatic selector for short-weft looms.



11.4113.RATHBUN.v PNEUMATIU SELECTOR FOB. SHORT WEFT LOOMS. APILIOATIONFILED JULY 12, 1909.

978,645. Patented Dec. 13,- 1,910.

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PNEUMATIO SELECTOR FOR SHORT WEPT LOOMS.

APPLIGATIQN FILED JULY 1a, 1909 978,645. Patented Dec. 1s, 1910.

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PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E. RATHBUN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

PNEUMATICI SELECTOR FOR SHORT-WEET LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 12, 1909.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

Serial No. 507,063.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. RATHBUN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Pneumatic Selector forShort- Weft Looms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a loom for weaving short weft fabrics such forexample as straw matting and the like. Heretofore in the manufacture ofthese classes of goods the straws or other weft strands have been heldin a hopper on the lay and fed by a feeding device to feed rolls orwheels which take the straws and run them into the shed. This is asatisfactory operation theoretically but in practice it is found thatthe feed skips so may times that the production of the loom is cut downby a very large percentage from its theoretical capacity. Theintroduction of two straws at once also frequently occurs and this alsonecessitates the stopping of the loom and taking out the two strawswoven in which also materially reduces the production.

The principal object of this invention is to provide means whereby bothof these difficulties will substantially be done away with so -thatsubstantially the full capacity of the loom can be produced and toprovide a mechanism for that purpose of very simple and inexpensiveconstruction and one which is practically sure to work every time. Forthis purpose a pneumatic weft selector is employed, and means is emloyed in connection with it for assisting 1n getting the weft strandsproperly placed upon it so as to be fed into the shed one at a time ateach ick.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1is an elevation of a portion of the lay of a loom for weaving short weftfabrics showing a preferred vform of this invention applied thereto;Fig. 2 is a plan of a portion of the same; Fig. 3 is an end view of theselector and its associated parts; Fig. 4 is a plan of the same onenlarged scale; Fig. 5 is an elevation of a detail thereof; Fig. 6 is aplan of a portion of the mechanism for getting the straws into properposition; and Fig. 7 is an elevation thereof.

The invention is shown as applied to a loom having a lay 10 which beatsback and forth in the usual manner and which is provided with a hopper1l for the straws, and feed rolls 12 and 13 for receiving the strawsfrom the hopper and for inserting them in the shed.

Mounted to move with the lay at a point adjacent to the hopper is aguide rod 14 parallel with the length of the hopper. On this guide-rodreciprocates a selector slide 15, operated by a cam 16, levers 17,bellcrank 18, and link 19, or in any other convenient manner, so thatthe selector slide moves back and forth as the lay beats to and fro.Projecting from the selector slide is a bracket 20 on which isadjustably mounted a nozzle 21 having a mouth on the end thereof in theform of an opening or slit against which the straws are adapted toengage as indicated in Fig. 3. At the side of this mouth is located astop 22 to keep the straws from going too far and to hold them inposition to cover the mouth. This nozzle projects up into the bottom ofthe hopper so as to be able to engage the straws and is connected by ahose or the like 23 with a reservoir 24k which is exhausted by an airpump 25 or in any desired way. Consequently, there is suction producedat the mouth of the nozzle and when a straw covers it the straw will beheld against the mouth of the nozzle, by the pressure of the air on theother side, and then as the selector slide moves along the guide rod 14that straw will be introduced between the feed rolls 12 and 13. It willbe observed that this is not a positive feed and in order to assist thisaction a gripper 30 is pivotally mounted on the nozzle, and consequentlyis supported by the selector slide. A spring 31 normally forces thegripper toward the mouth of the nozzle so that when this spring ispermitted to act after a straw is in position on th'e nozzle, the strawwill be positively driven and carried forward with the selector slide.This spring is in such position that it can act at all times except whenthe tail 32 of the gripper comes into engagement with one arm 33 of alever shown `in the form of a bell crank which is mounted on a bracket34, on the end of the guide rod. A spring 35 normally holds the otherarm 36 of this lever out so that the arm 33 will be in position toengage the tail of the gripper when the selector slide moves In orderthat the weft strands may beV agitated suficiently to cause themeventually to come into position over the mouth of the nozzle, the frame40 of the loom is shown as provided With a pivoted member 4l Which restson the lay and Which has an upper sinuous surface provided Withindentations and projections. Mounted on the lay is a shaft 42 having anarm 43 fixed thereon and held down on the sinuous surface by a spring 44so that as the lay beats forward and back this arm Will be oscillated bythe motion of the member 41. This oscillates the shaft -42 and With it aWire 45 fixed thereon WhichIterm the shaker. This Wire extends downunder the Weft strands in the hopper, and every time it is agitated itcorrespondingly agitates the strands so that they will sooner or laterbe brought into position directly over the mouth of the i nozzle, andWhenever one of them covers the mouth it will be held thereon byatmospheric pressure as described above. On this shaft 42 is another arm47 connected With a link 48 for operating a similar shaker (not shown)on the other side of the loom. A link 49 also operating a slide (notshown) similar to slide 38 on the other side. No particular Way ofoperating the feed rolls,

Vlay, etc. has been described, as it Will be ystraws or the likeconstituting the Wefts,

` and a feed device for taking straws therefrom, of a nozzle movablealong the hopper, and means for exhausting air from said nozzle, wherebywhen the mouth of the nozzle comes into contact With a straw the latterWill be pressed against it by atmospheric pressure.

2. In a loom for Weaving short Wefts, the combination With a hopper forholding y short Wefts, and a device for inserting the Wefts in the shed,of vpneumatic means for feeding the Wefts from the hopper to the saiddevice.

3. In a loom for Weaving short Wefts, the combination With a hopper forholding short Wefts, and a device for inserting the `Wefts in the shed,of pneumatic means for feeding the Wefts from the hopper to said device,said pneumatic means being movable along the hopper toward said device,and means for moving it.

4. In a loom for Weaving short Wefts, the combination with a hopper forholding short Wefts, of a selecting device movable parallel With thelengt-h of the hopper, and a pneumatic device carried by said selectingdevice for moving the Wefts longitudinally inthe hopper.

5. In a loom for Weaving short Wefts, the combination With a hopper forholding short Wefts, of a guide rod located parallel with thelength ofthe hopper, a selector slide movable on said rod, a nozzle carried bythe selector slide and having a mouth thereon adapted to receive a weft,pneumatic means for causing a weft to be carried along With the nozzlewhen entering said mouth, and means for moving said slide along theyguide rod.

6. In a loom for Weaving short vvefts, the combination with a hopper forholding short Wefts, of a guide rod located parallel with the length ofthe hopper, a selector slide movable on said rod, a nozzle carried `bythe selector slide and having a mouth thereon adapted to receive a weft,pneulmatic means for causing a weft to be carried along With the nozzleWhen entering said mouth, means for moving said slide'along the guiderod, and a gripper mounted on said slide for assisting in holdinfr theweft on said nozzle.

In a loom for Weaving short Wefts, the combination with a hopper forholding short Wefts, of a movable nozzle having a mouth for receivingthe Wefts, and a gripper mounted on the slide for assisting in holdingthe `Wett on said mouth.

8. In a loom for Weaving short vvefts, the combination with a lay, of ahopper, a feed device, 4and a selector mounted thereon, and meansoperated by the swinging of the lay for agitating the weft in thehopper.

9. In a loom for Weaving short Wefts, the combination With a hopper forholding short Wefts, and a feed device for taking the Wefts from thehopper, of a selector slide movable parallel With the length of thehopper, a gripper on said selector slide for grippinga weft, meansmounted in stationary position for retracting the gripper When the slidemoves to the rear limit of its stroke, and means for agitating the Weftsover said Weft gripper.

10. In a loom for Weaving short Wefts, the combination With a hopper forholding short vvefts, of a pneumatic means for feed- Y ing the Weftsfrom the hopper, and means for agitating the wefts in the hopper so asto cause one of them to come into direct contact with the pneumaticmeans.

11. In a loom for weaving short wefts, the combination with a lay, of ahopper, a feed device, and a pneumatic selector' mounted thereon, saidselectorl comprising a nozzle having a mouth adapted to receive one weftat a time, and means operated by the swinging of the lay for agitatingthe weft-s in the hopper.

12. In a loom for weavinO' short wefts, the combination with the lay, dfa hopper thereon, and a selecting device for moving the wefts from thehopper, of means mounted on the lay for agitating the wefts in thehopper as the lay beats, said means comprising a pivoted Vibratoryshaker passing under the wefts in the hopper, and means for 0 'swingingsaid shaker on its pivot.

13. In a loom for weaving short wefts, the

combination with the lay and a frame, of a member mounted on the frameand having a surface provided with projections and i11- dentations, ashaft on the la having an arm thereon engaging said surface, whereby asthe lay beats said arm will be swung back and forth and the Shaftoscillated, and a shaker fixed to said shaft and passing under the weftsfor vibrating them.

14. A loom for weaving short weft fabrics comprising a feed mechanism,means for holding short wefts, and a pneumatic selector for feeding theshort wefts to the feed mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HENRY E. RATHBUN. lVitnesses A. E. FAY, C. FonREsT lVnssoN.

